When I taught at colleges here in the 1980s, I marveled at my students' freedom, including freedom from study. They could spend most of their waking hours at part-time jobs or club activities and still, somehow, graduate.
But, as Shinya Tamada's ensemble drama, "Lust in ...

From tiny one-person cubicles in underground stations to camping tents under towering skyscrapers and even offices in karaoke clubs: In workaholic Japan, salarymen are never short of a place to work.
Unusual work venues are popping up all over the country as firms try to ...

The Metropolitan Police Department has handed to public prosecutors its case on a male karaoke video maker who allegedly violated copyright law by uploading the instrumental track of another person's song to YouTube, investigative sources said.
The man a 32-year-old company employee and music creator ...

Mobile shopping
Cerevo has developed a cashless mobile vending machine for vendors wanting to set up shop anywhere without the hassle of a salesperson or a register. The Qvie is a merchandise container that uses 3G and 4G networks to allow customers to unlock it ...

Electronics and electrical equipment manufacturer Brother Industries Ltd. is bringing its popular home karaoke system to Thailand for the first time during this merry-making season following its launch in six countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the United States.
Its local sales unit, Brother Commercial ...

Japan is witnessing an expansion of businesses catering to solo customers, including restaurants and even karaoke spots targeting patrons who value privacy and minimal human interaction.
Some ramen shops and yakiniku (grilled meat) restaurants, which customarily serve families or groups, are switching gears to focus ...

Karaoke establishments around the country today are not just places for singing in a group — they are increasingly for watching films, holding children's parties or for solo-crooning sessions.
Karaoke operators are offering a slew of new services that leverage their private rooms and attract ...

Nagoya Braille Network, a support group for people with visual impairments, has started posting lyrics written in Braille online for people who cannot read with their eyes.
Music fans who are visually impaired will no longer have to memorize song lyrics before partaking in karaoke. ...